Good afternoon, friends. The news cycle isn’t ready to wind down for the weekend just yet, though the pleasant breeze is more than making up for the crunch.

THE BIG STORY TODAY-

? The first-ever EU-Egypt Summit over in Brussels is well underway, with President Abdel Fattah El Sisi in attendance and set to meet European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to discuss strengthening political and economic ties under the EU-Egypt Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership and build on Egypt’s role as a key stabilizing force in the region, according to an European Council statement.

Cooperation, Gaza, and illegal migration topped El Sisi’s meeting this morning with European Commission Vice President Kaja Kallas, according to an Ittihadiya statement. El Sisi is also set to hold a series of meetings on the sidelines of the visit, including with King Philippe of Belgium and several senior EU officials and European leaders, according to a separate Ittihadiya statement.

Some big names from the public and private sectors are taking to the stage to discuss investment, industrial transformation, innovation, and much more, as part of a packed agenda (pdf) at an accompanying high-level event. Representing Egypt’s private sector are MNT-Halan CEO Mounir Nakhla, Federation of Egyptian Industries Chairman Mohamed Elsewedy, and Federation of Mediterranean Business Organizations President Tarek Tawfik. Also offering their insights from the public sector are Investment Minister Hassan El Khatib, Planning and International Cooperation Minister Rania Al Mashat, and Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty.

REMEMBER- Last year, the EU pledged a EUR 7.4 bn package of loans, grants, and investments through to 2027 and inked a joint strategic and comprehensive partnership with Egypt. The package included a EUR 1.8 bn investment protection mechanism, EUR 5 bn in concessional loans to provide macro-financial assistance, and EUR 600 mn in grants.

The EnterpriseAM Egypt Forum is over. The insights are just getting started.

This year's forum was packed with actionable intelligence on the future of Egyptian business. To make sure you don't miss a thing, we're launching the EnterpriseAM Forum Playback.

Every Thursday, you'll receive a special newsletter breaking down one key session — from the future of work to getting capital markets off life support. We'll also drop a companion podcast in our EnterpriseAM Egypt podcast feed so you can listen on the go.

Want more? We're soft launching our YouTube channel where we've dropped video highlights.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

? A large-scale Russian aerial attack on Ukraine killed at least six people, including two children, left at least 17 others wounded, and caused a nationwide power outage. Residential areas and energy infrastructure sites were targeted across Kyiv, the Poltava region, the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, and the port city of Izmail. The attack came just hours following US President Donald Trump’s statement that a now-shelved meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin would be futile after Russia rejected Trump’s ceasefire proposal. (BBC | Reuters | Guardian | CNN | Bloomberg | Associated Press)

CLOSER TO HOME- US Vice President JD Vance expressed his optimism about the future of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza during his visit to Israel, which ends tomorrow. “There are going to be moments where it looks like things aren’t going particularly well. But given that, and given the history of conflict, I think that everybody should be proud of where we are today,” Vance said.

The vice president further added that the ceasefire could lead to more Israeli alliances in the region. “I think this Gaza deal is a critical piece of unlocking the Abraham Accords,” he said in a joint press conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem earlier today. (Guardian | Bloomberg | BBC | Axios)

REMEMBER- Earlier this week, the Israeli military launched an aerial attack on the enclave after accusing Hamas of violating the ceasefire agreement, killing at least 97 Palestinians since the ceasefire took effect on 10 October.

☀️ TOMORROW’S WEATHER- We’re in for an uncharacteristically hot October day in the capital tomorrow, with a high of 34°C and a low of 23°C, according to our favorite weather app.

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